Seduction by Marketing Interests

                                                      
Marketing interests foster the belief that all we have to do is use their product to “get the excess weight off”. They'll kiss our behinds, not because they care about us, but to get our money.

I use the term “marketing interest” to define someone who has a product or an idea that they would like to make financially profitable. It could be a food, a drug or supplement, a book or other publication, a diet organization, an exercise machine, an event such as a marathon, personal services like a trainer or nutritionist, a politician, or even …. gasp!… a medical doctor or facility with a specialization involving the condition of obesity.

Advertising also now gives a more positive spin on this process by substituting the term “get healthy” for “lose weight”; thereby making certain that the concept Slim equals Healthy, and Fat equals Sick. During the past several decades, this language has been adopted by popular culture, which was an extremely successful marketing ploy. It has resulted in the majority of society … including those in the medical profession …now accepting that concept as an absolute Truth of Life. An informed person who dares to question the basic reality of that premise now faces mass opposition.

Most of us who struggle with obesity, desperately want to be “normal weight”.
We want to be “attractive”, “trim”, “fit”, “toned” and “healthy”.
We want an easy way to accomplish that goal. A way that doesn’t take much thought or a lot of time and effort. We want it to come “naturally”. So, we are easily seduced by the false promises of a simple, effortless way.   We can also be seduced into agreeing to make a lot of effort for a very limited time.

Phrased anyway you like, essentially, this is a lie.
And, not a “harmless” lie, but to use a term I frequently heard as a child…
It’s a lie “straight from the pits of Hell”.
As long as we believe there is….somewhere….an easy way, it becomes almost impossible to commit oneself to the hard work and constant struggle that it takes for weight-loss and maintenance of that weight-loss.

People who are clearly fat commonly express the concept that that they
don’t want Thoughts about Weight/Food/Exercise to "Rule their Life".

I have no way to help anyone toward that Goal of Mindlessness,
because Thoughts about Weight/Food/Exercise have ALWAYS "Ruled MY Life."
I'm not a person with the genetics it takes to be naturally thin, or even naturally normal-weight.  I did not spend any less time Thinking about those issues when I was Fat than I do now.  The difference is that when I was Fat my Thoughts were not accompanied by consistent Action, while during my weight-loss period ...and now inside Maintenance...
my Thoughts about those issues now tend to be productive and positive.

Sometimes, ... if we choose to ...  we can make hard work enjoyable, and that is the direction I’ve chosen to take with my dieting hobby.